Growing a culture of respect

NAIDOC Week is a great way to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to build bridges between all Australians. It is also an opportunity to take part in activities and events in celebration of a broader commitment to grow a culture of respect through developing an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s cultures and to recognise the contributions that they have made to our country and society.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians.

This year’s theme, ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together’, were three elements to the reforms set out in the ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’ and represent the unified position of First Nations Australians.

NAIDOC Week celebrations include a national poster competition which provides an opportunity for indigenous artists to showcase their work across the nation. Indigenous artists are invited to submit artwork based on the national NAIDOC theme, with the winning artist having their work reproduced on the NAIDOC Week poster which is displayed across Australia. The poster this year, featured in this article, is titled ‘Awaken’, to fit with this year’s theme, was created by Charmaine Mumbulla, a proud Kaurna and Narungga woman.

“NAIDOC Week is a fantastic time to come together to recognise and celebrate the culture and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that shapes the community we live in,” Stantec Principal and Civil Project Engineer, Vivienne Edwards said.

As an active member of Stantec’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) working group, Vivienne says Stantec supports initiatives to engage with Indigenous communities to shape the projects we work on.

“This year’s theme of let’s work together for a shared future highlights the importance of sharing the stories of the past to achieve full reconciliation,” said Vivienne.

Stantec proudly celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Australian culture and encourages the broader community participate in local community events across the country and to use the #NAIDOC2019 hashtag when talking about NAIDOC Week on social media.

Learn more about NAIDOC Week and local community events taking place across Australia.